Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: oakranger on May 26, 2009, 01:54:05 PM
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I just read a article about vegetable oil as fuel and how back this has been used. Turn out the Erwin Rommel used vegetable oil as fuel when his tank ran out. Dose anybody know anything about this?
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It is true, he used it.
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Didn't hear this before, but bear in mind that the diesel engine is designed for vegetable oil. Actually the first diesel ran on peanut oil if I recall right.
I have a thread going on this, since I am using used frying oil for one of my tractors.
His tank(s) would have to have been running on diesel engines though, and it should really not have been a problem especially in N-Africa...
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German tanks had gasoline engines.
Russian tanks had diesel engines.
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I believe the Germans used diesel.
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I believe the Germans used diesel.
Neg, Blooz is right.
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Are you certain? I remember reading somewhere about the Panther using a diesel engine. Can't understand why they would use 2 different types of fuel.
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Germans used diesel as well and Rommel did use vegetable oil as a substitute in a pinch.
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Are you certain? I remember reading somewhere about the Panther using a diesel engine. Can't understand why they would use 2 different types of fuel.
Panther: Maybach HL230 P30 gasoline engine. The Tiger I used the same engine, different version, the P45. More info about this engine: http://www.alanhamby.com/maybach.shtml
Pz III and IV used the Maybach HL 120. Also a gasoline engine, and the most used German tank engine.
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Panzer IV - Maybach HL120 TRM V-12 diesel
Carro Armato M 13/40 - SPA 8 TMO40 diesel
These above two were utilized by Rommel, as previously stated. I've looked at no less than 10 books that verify this post (even went downstairs to my "archive in rubbermaid bins").
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Could you maybe name those books claiming the 120 was a diesel?
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I am guessing that Rommel used veg oil in Afirca.
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If he was using veg oil, he was running a diesel engine. Dead simple. A gasoline engine will not run on diesel, not to mention veg oil which is very much tougher.
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You guys watch too many movies.
All German Maybach tank engines are PETROL (that's gasoline folks)
The only diesel engine the Germans used was an air cooled Tatra 103 V12 used in one type of armored car (SdKfz 234) later in the war. A few hundred were produced. Too late for Africa. Too late, period.
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So the story is a myth.
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You guys watch too many movies.
All German Maybach tank engines are PETROL (that's gasoline folks)
The only diesel engine the Germans used was an air cooled Tatra 103 V12 used in one type of armored car (SdKfz 234) later in the war. A few hundred were produced. Too late for Africa. Too late, period.
Hey genius, the 2nd engine listed in my post was an Italian tank. Insult yourself next time. Also the "variant" of the 120 I listed was utilized in the IV. I'm sorry if "slinging insults is your attempt at skirting the issue".
Angus, this happened, it's even more funny watching two people "try to be right", even when show two engines that Rommel used. To what extent they were used is not the question, but the "using vegetable oil" DID happen.
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I went googling and found this mentioned (about Rommel), however I see no source for this.
If a petrol engine is to run on diesel, it will need a very good compression ratio, - enough to qualify as a diesel engine, typically with a compression of up to 600 bar, while petrol engines would be about 200.
Maybach 120 has a compression ratio of 6.5 which I do not know how to calculate into the other scale.
Anyway, the injection is different, so I am not sure the carb would work properly.
One might be able to use a cocktail though, - not sure.
What was Rommel's ride anyway?
p.s. My diesel tractor is running well on veggie oil :aok
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The "TRM" diesel was used in Late Ausf. C IV's.
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Was that a Maybach variant then, or a different engine fitted into the tank? Experimental?
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Was that a Maybach variant then, or a different engine fitted into the tank? Experimental?
I don't know, prove me wrong. I'm right so far and laughing my arse off on how petty this Community can be at times. I listed an Italian and German diesel that were utilized by Rommel's Afrika Corps.
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When you're done cutting up at yourself, could you offer some insight into where you found the diesel Maybachs? I don't have a dog in this fight- I'm just intrigued by the idea. TRM just means dry sump, no? No need for a magneto on a diesel either?
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Masher, I'm all ears. Since you have this from several sources, could you please feed us something :pray
I've always been baffled why the Germans did not use diesel in their main tanks. Somewhere a long time I took part in a debate about whether a Tiger could have been destroyed with Hispano rounds bouncing under the belly, and I recall Milo pointing out that it was possible since the German tanks almost exclusively used gasoline and were sometimes not to tight under the bottom...so...
I was not trying to discredit your claim, but if all of Rommel's tanks were on Petrol, the history would be a myth. Period.
(That is why I looked into the combustion rate and so)
Anyway, you're teasing. You have some info and have fun when the community jumps at it with a big "NO". So, about time to unveil the goodies :D
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I'd file this under anecdotal, but I just read "Tigers in the Mud". Carius says a few things that are, if not relevant to this discussion, perhaps relevant to the discussion you mention. I have no idea on the accuracy of this book, but in it he says an otherwise harmless round or shrapnel would damage the radiator, rendering a Tiger useless. If it overheated, the engine seized, and once the engine was dead, the batteries could not be charged, rendering the comm and weapons systems useless. While I wouldn't want to bet on the odds, I'd think it was certainly possible for a golden bb to destroy a tank. Apparently the fire extinguishing system was lacking, at least according to Carius, and the crew would be very vulnerable in trying to fight a fire in action.
Anywho, for this discussion, perhaps Rommel was not in a German tank for this incident? I've read several accounts of Allies "borrowing" VWs, and German officers stealing Jeeps- maybe someone was a little more ambitious and swiped a tank? :devil
The extent to which any of these things happened would be an interesting bit of data. I would like to add that question to the discussion as well.
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That of course is a valid theory.
Not to mention scrapping engines for mountings. The German recovery and repair teams in N-Africa were renowned for their abilities. So was the gear for using parts on other models etc etc